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The urban landscape is littered with WiFi these days. In today's WiFi-friendly world, mobile workers can gain access to broadband resources from coffee shops or hotel lobbies around the world.
Granted, there are those pesky dead zones between hotspots. And we haven't yet achieved the stage where anyone can open their laptop or handheld device in any location and expect an immediate link to broadband services. However, with each passing month, there is more broadband to be had for the mobile user.
Experts say it won't be long before wireless broadband could be as ubiquitous as cellphone service. All it will take is a little imaginative thinking — and some newer technology approaches to fill in the missing links.
IN THE BEGINNING: WIFI
In its earliest iteration, WiFi was intended as a wireless broadband service for local area and in-home networking. Since those early days, WiFi has managed to extend its reach considerably.
How it's set up:
- WiFi uses access points, each of which can transmit data over distances of 300 to 600 feet
- WiFi can also be configured as a wireless "mesh" where multiple access points are linked to create a "co-operative" communication infrastructure to cover larger areas
"WiFi mesh is the latest effort to stretch the distance coverage of WiFi by relaying signals from one access point to another," explains Berge Ayvazian, an analyst with the Yankee Group. He notes that this approach, while effective in expanding broadband coverage, has its limits.
A major one is the logistics and costs associated with creating multiple hops over larger distances. "As an open space for a campus environment, mesh works very well," says Eugene Roman, group president, Bell Systems and Technology in Toronto. "However, there are high costs associated with having that many access points, which doesn't make mesh an attractive business proposition for many larger applications."
Some characteristics to keep in mind about WiFi are:
- WiFi is short for wireless fidelity
- It is used to refer to any type of 802.11-based wireless LAN network
- While all 802.11 a/b/g products are called WiFi, only products that have passed the WiFi Alliance testing can be called WiFi Certified
- The newest 802.11n wireless protocol that promises faster speeds and greater range is still under draft development (802.11n products are available today)
- WiFi Certified products are interoperable with each other even if they are from different manufacturers
- Radio frequency band used for WiFi is 2.5 GHz for 802.11b or 802.11g; 5GHz for 802.11a
- It operates over unlicensed frequencies so is prone to signal interference
- Service is offered on a best effort basis (not carrier grade)
THE NEXT WAVE: WIMAX
Given the voracious appetite for bandwidth in all walks of life, it was only a matter of time before efforts were made to bring the same interoperability over a wider area. Enter WiMAX. Some say 2008 is the year WiMAX will break out of obscurity. Why the interest in another wireless broadband service? Because it can bring the carrier grade service and long distance coverage WiFi has lacked.
How it works:
- WiMAX radios are set up to communicate from base station to base station similar to cellular networks
- WiMAX-based technology (i.e. a single base station) can transmit signals over distances of two to six kilometers (By way of comparison, using a WiFi mesh architecture to cover one mile would require up to 100 access points)
- WiMAX can be used to "backhaul" hotspots (i.e. to bridge the bigger gaps between access points) by connecting one location to another
- WiMAX can be used in a hybrid architecture with WiFi to bring connectivity in buildings, public areas and consumers' homes
"WiMAX can create a much more expansive inclusion zone," says Mr. Roman. "It could move us out of today's world of the 'urban haves' with the 'suburban/rural have-nots' and get wireless broadband beyond city limits to smaller communities and less densely populated areas."
Kevin Suitor, Vice President, Marketing and Business Development at Redline Communications in Markham states it succinctly by calling WiMAX the "broadband wireless alternative for the middle mile."
As far as the Canadian market is concerned, there is more work to be done before WiMAX appears on the scene in any meaningful way says Mr. Roman. "We have yet to hear what Industry Canada will do about licensing. Until those decisions are made, it's anybody's guess when WiMAX will be deployed here."
Raj Singh, CEO, Wavesat Inc., a Montreal-based provider of WiMAX chipsets says that the industry as a whole is getting on board, as WiMAX adoption grows in other parts of the world such as India, Korea, the Middle East, South America and Europe. "We have to spend the time here to build the ecosystem for all the pieces to fit together and big part of that has been running the trials and interoperability of the equipment. This year we're seeing significant ramp up in demand for chips. And some manufacturers are now looking at WiMAX cards for all their laptops by 2009."
Primus Telecommunications Canada Inc. has been leading the cause on the municipal front by staging a WiMAX trial in Hamilton over a 25 sq. km. area in the downtown area. President and CEO Ted Chislett — who likens WiMAX to "WiFi on steroids"- reports that the technology is being finalized. Primus is hoping to transition to a commercial trail by Q4 of 2008. It is also running a second WiMAX trial in the works in north Toronto area that will eventually include 10 base stations.
Consumers who have tested the WiMAX waters definitely like what it has to offer. Second year medical student Simon Oczkowski has been on the Primus pilot program since October 2007. "All you need is an electrical outlet and you can be within range of the Internet. It's like bringing you own hotspot with you wherever you go."
Some facts about WiMAX:
- WiMAX is the acronym for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access - a wireless industry coalition devoted to developing standards for the development of broadband wireless access networks
- Like WiFi, the WiMAX standards allow for interoperability of equipment
- The WiMAX standard refers to 802.16d-2005 (fixed WiMAX) and 802.16e-2005 (mobile WiMAX) for wireless broadband
- WiMAX also offers a voice and higher-speed data alternative to cellular networks
- WiMAX operates in a licensed spectrum (2.3, 2.5 and 3.5 GHz are the most common frequencies in North America)
- Many of the new laptops produced during the second half of 2008 will be WiMAX enabled
BROADBAND FOR THE NETHER REGIONS: BGAN
For those few remaining gaps over oceans, in geographical wastelands or any other area that's simply out of range for WiMAX or WiFi, one can always fall back on BGAN (broadband global area network) services. BGAN was officially launched in December 2005 by Inmarsat. It now provides wireless coverage for over 85 per cent of the earth's landmass.
According to Wesley Robb, product manager for Roadpost Inc. in Mississauga, there are currently 12,000 active BGAN subscribers worldwide, and the numbers are growing at a rate of 2,000 a month. "What we see is people using it for higher bandwidth access to data transfer, email, virtual private networks and connecting to head office."
How it works:
- The user turns on the BGAN terminal which is smaller-than-laptop sized device with an antenna
- The user then points the antenna to find the strongest satellite signal (the device provides an audio cue to let them know)
- Once activated, users can connect to the Internet to browse the Web, receive and send broadcast quality video or engage in any other online activity
- BGAN can also be used to set up a remote VPN or to provide VoIP services
While BGAN fits the bill for workers in extremely remote areas, journalists and disaster recovery efforts, it comes at a premium. For the most part therefore, BGAN is relegated to the role of a niche wireless broadband option for specialized applications.
Some BGAN facts:
- BGAN is the first mobile satellite-based communications service to offer simultaneous voice and broadband data communications through a single portable device
- BGAN is accessible in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, North and South America
- Upload/download speeds can reach 300 to 500 Kbps
- Hardware costs range from just over $3,000 to $5,000
- Charges are on a per megabyte usage basis (average $5 to $10 per MB)
- BGAN requires a view of the satellite to operate - average "pointing" time for BGAN connectivity is 2 minutes (less with an experience user and a strong signal)
